This study sought to measure what factors contribute to the learning and personal development of traditional and new majority students at six metropolitan institutions: University of Alabama, Birmingham; University of Louisville (Kentucky); Wichita State University (Kansas); University of Lowell (Massachusetts); Cleveland State University (Ohio);…

This study attempted to validate the use of academic growth and development items from Tennessee alumni surveys as measures of program quality and effectiveness at the University of Tennessee (UTK), Knoxville. The argument is made that it is essential that the instruments used to assess students educational outcomes be valid measures of the goals…

In the context of a move toward physician participation in counseling patients to reduce risk factors and promote healthy lifestyles, a study was done of whether medical students perceive themselves to be self-efficacious in educating patients for health promotion and of how various educational experiences help to develop self-efficacy. The study…

Researchers of performance assessment in social studies have contrasted authentic assessment, which is characterized by contextualized, complex intellectual challenges, with multiple choice tests of achievement, which are characterized as fragmented and static. In calling for the need for authentic assessment, this paper outlines a plan for the…

This practicum was designed to integrate a study skills program throughout special education classes in a middle school. The major objectives were to develop a variety of instructional strategies to meet the students' needs in the area of study skills, to foster the teaching of study skills in each subject area by the special education teachers…

This study examined, from a student perspective, outcomes of early student field experiences in selected college sophomore level courses in a teacher preparation program. The study, based on a survey of 266 students, examined the influence of the experiences on students' knowledge and skills. Students' knowledge responses are analyzed within the…

Following a brief introduction, five reports, books, and articles that examine the issues of engendering, maintaining, or regaining student motivation are summarized. While some offer specific strategies that can be used at the classroom level, others address issues beyond the classroom, recognizing that schoolwide policies and practices can also…

This paper explores the topic of "ends" in John Dewey's educational theories. It deals with the shift from "capacity" to "potentiality" in Dewey's conception of the learner, revealing that Dewey became aware of flaws in his "Democracy and Education" and sought to correct them. One of the motivations behind…

This study, using data collected from 18,817 college students by the American Council on Education and the Higher Education Research Institute, addresses the extent to which college impacts students' sense of the importance of promoting racial understanding. Multiple regression analysis is used to study the manner in which various background…

This paper estimates the relative importance of three, theoretically interrelated sets of variables on changes in students' intellectual curiosity and interest in learning for its own sake. Variables being analyzed are: (1) students' curricular experiences; (2) students' formal instructional experiences and classroom-related contacts with faculty…

This paper examines classroom dynamics that can lead to adolescent girls doubting their ability, creativity, and importance. Before children even start attending school, girls have learned verbal and physical self-restraint, thus requiring teachers to give more attention to boys who are more difficult to control. At school, intelligence is…

Secondary education in Malta has gone through extensive reform and counter-reform in recent years. Maltese schooling culture hitherto had been very selective and traditional in its outlook, while implementation policy utterly disregarded both the cultural constraints and the unpreparedness of teachers for radical reform. The result was a steep…

This review examines both the popular and research literature on interdisciplinary teaching and learning at the middle grades level. The review discusses terminology; the rationale for integrating learning; and such features of the interdisciplinary approach as a curriculum plan demonstrating "connectedness," a holistic approach, preparation for…

This book is intended to help faculty who teach college freshmen to understand their students, present effective teaching practices, and provide practical suggestions for dealing with the special challenges presented by freshmen. Part 1 portrays freshmen, examining high school influences that shape expectations and habits; attitudes, values, and…

Teacher educators have acknowledged the importance of preservice teachers' biographies but remained largely inarticulate about how shared knowledge of personal histories helps shape preservice teachers' thinking and ultimate practice. This document provides a detailed description of how preservice teachers use their personal histories to generate…